Restoring Our Antique Pressed Tin Ceiling Tiles: Part 2
In Part 1 of Restoring Our Antique Pressed Tin Ceiling Tiles, I talked about some of the history of our building, showed you our dilapidated antique ceiling tiles, and how we came up with a solution on how to save them. In Part 2, I will show you exactly how we restored the tiles, how we sealed them, and the finished product!
Part 1 Recap
So in Part 1 where we left off, we finally found a plan that would allow us to keep the antique ceiling tiles. Originally we thought we would have to take them all down because we only had about a 70% complete ceiling, and they were in very bad shape. We decided to build a partition wall to create multiple spaces and remove the ceiling tiles behind the wall. We would use them to replace the damaged ones in the front. This way, we could still enjoy the gorgeous ceiling!
Removing The Back Ceiling Tiles
Once we had a general plan in place, it was time to go to work! First we tackled the old plumbing from upstairs.
Dr. Dogget’s Medical Practice
The upstairs has a lot of history as well. The second story addition was built in the late 20s or early 30s. Dr. Doggett decided to build offices upstairs for his medical practice and left his son to run the drug store downstairs. How I wish I had pictures of this or any kind of token from this exciting time! Sadly pictures are hard to come by as many that lived in the town at that time have passed away and people just don’t seem to have the same sentiment these days when it comes to keeping things from the past. So if you are reading this, and you know someone that could possibly have some information or pictures of the old Dogget Drug Store or his medical offices, let me know!
A Place For Rail Workers
Sometime after that, old railroaders used to stay up there overnight. You see, our town once had an absolutely BEAUTIFUL round house. If you are not familiar with railroad terminology, according to Wikipedia, A railroad roundhouse is a circular or semi-circular building used for servicing and storing locomotives, often surrounding a turntable, allowing locomotives to be turned around for the return journey and facilitating access for maintenance.
So basically the train would pull into the roundhouse (see photo below), and it would take about a day for it to be turned around and ready to head back in the opposite direction. The railroaders would spend the night upstairs, where we will be building our dream home. How cool is that?!
Apartment Complex
Sometime after that, the upstairs was turned into three different apartments and were leased out for many many years. I do not have a lot of information on this time period nor do I really have any photographs. I would LOVE to have some. If I come across some in my research, I will most definitely share them with you!
The Work Begins
After we removed the old plumbing, we slowly began removing each ceiling tile, piece by piece. This was quite the task! We were on a ladder, using pry bars, and gently removing each tile all while a century of accumulated soot (from the potbelly stoves used to heat the place), dirt, dust, probably bugs (EEK!), and who knows what else covered our faces! Hours upon hours of standing on a ladder and reaching over our heads really took a toll physically. It was very laborious but eventually I did the honors of removing the last tin that would be behind our partition wall!
A Genius Solution For “Replacing” The Bad Tiles In the Front Room
One thing I have learned about historical ceiling tins is that they are actually hung in patterns. If you want to try to remove one, you also have to remove several around it to access all 4 sides. This seemed very impractical to us. Having to pry each tin off could potentially bend and damage them. We did not want to risk this. It would also create a ton more work for us.
The solution? Our good friend Ron, who is also a carpentry genius by the way, came up with an amazing idea where we could simply cover up the tins that were rusted through and fill in the missing places without having to take down the surrounding tiles. The ceilings are 14 feet tall…from the ground, you literally CANNOT EVEN TELL we have done this. It is insane!
Preparing The Antique Pressed Ceiling Tiles
Removing the Chipped Paint and Rust
First, Mom and I dived in and started removing the falling paint chips on each antique pressed ceiling tile. The paint was so loose that every time you walked around upstairs, the downstairs would be covered with paint chips. Luckily, we did not have to worry about lead. We bought this testing kit to be safe before we started on this ceiling project. We used our Stanley Shop Vac to vacuum the paint chips to make less clean up!
I went to work removing old random hooks, handing wires from the drop ceiling, and other things from the ceiling that we did not want there.
Next, we took each ceiling tin that we removed and started scrubbing away the rust from the pieces using a wire bristle brush. Rust will continue to grow and eventually eat all the way through the metal if you do not remove this so we made sure we scrubbed thoroughly. This was a PROCESS!
While we were outside working on these, we hired our dear friend Flynn (so thankful for you!) to help us with the tins that were on the ceiling…those needed to be scrubbed as well! This took weeks of hard work from all of us but we persevered through!
Reshaping The Tins for A Proper Fit
As you can imagine, a lot of these tins that we removed, had some bends and folded parts due to being pried down with our pry bar. It is hard not to do, even when you are being as gentle as you can be. Ron came up with a neat and innovative solution to help reshape the tins so they mold perfectly around the existing tins that we were going to cover up. Being the expert craftsman he is, he made a great mold out of wood so that each tin could be placed over the top, gently hammered, and reshaped back to its original profile. Sadly I do not have a picture of this but if I find it, I will share it with you so you can see his amazing creation. It was very creative!
Hanging The Antique Pressed Ceiling Tiles
Now that we had the tiles reshaped and that the paint chips and rust were removed, it was time to mount them to the ceiling. We went row by row, piece by piece and hung each antique pressed ceiling tile in place using our brad nail gun. It was the perfect tool for this. You could hold the tin in place with one hand and nail with the other. From the ceiling at eye level, you can see where the new overlay tins are but from the ground, you would never know that we did this. It was such a great idea and saved us so much time and physical labor.
After all of the tins were complete, we did the same process with the cornice and trim pieces. Once they were all in, I was so amazed at how beautiful it looked! I couldn’t believe the difference. Hard work definitely pays off! If we would have paid someone to do this, it would have cost us thousands but digging into this DIY project was completely worth it!
Decisions, Decisions
With each tin we put up, I saw how this whole thing was coming together and I had a change of heart. Originally, we were going to paint the ceiling a creamy white, to bring it back to what it was before. After we removed the rust, the old chippy paint, and got them all hung up, I saw how beautifully it was coming together. I LOVED the patina. Each tin looked different and it was quite breathtaking. This was something special that could not be replicated. It could not be bought. I decided, I had to keep them unpainted, just like they were. It has been by far one of the best design choices I have made to this date!
Sealing The Antique Pressed Ceiling Tiles
Finding The Right Sealant
Did you know that you need to seal a pressed tin ceiling? I guess “need” is a strong word but nevertheless it is a good idea. Temperature fluctuations and humidity can cause it to rust overtime if you do not. After all of this work, we certainly did not want this to happen. Water is the enemy of metal. This is why after researching paint for this ceiling, I learned I would have to use an oil based paint because the oil repels water. Since we decided to no longer paint this ceiling, I needed to find the perfect sealant for it.
There were many options out there, most of them I would need to wear a respirator as they omitted very strong and toxic fumes. This was not appealing to me whatsoever. Since my mom received her first breast cancer diagnosis back in 2012, we were more aware of things we were putting in our bodies and toxins in our environment. We opt for non-toxic and natural options where we can.
One day, it clicked. I had the perfect product already in my hands!
My Love For Flipping Furniture
You see, one thing I love to do is rehab furniture. I love to paint them, restore the natural wood finish, add new hardware and upholstery or even a slipcover to completely make an old tattered piece like new, just like we were doing with this building. I used to flip furniture all the time and resell it as a side business. In my journey with that, I came across one of my favorite bloggers, Marian Parsons aka Miss Mustard Seed. She is very talented with design and especially when it came to flipping furniture pieces. She even came out with her own paint line called Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint which features many gorgeous shades of eco-friendly milk paint colors! In the line, she carries other products like brushes, brush cleaners, and types of sealants to seal the paint.
It just so happens that earlier that year, I had ordered a kit from her website and inside it had her Hemp Oil Wood Sealer. It is 100% pure hemp oil and says it is used over wood, metals, leather, and paint. This would be perfect for this project as there were no harmful and intense fumes, and it gives a beautiful seal to the raw metal antique pressed ceiling tiles, protecting them from moisture and rust.
I knew I was going to need to buy more. This tiny bottle would last a while just doing furniture but this ceiling was a very large surface area to work with!
Applying The Sealant To The Antique Pressed Ceiling Tiles
I started applying the hemp oil tile by tile, row by row. Applying it with one rag, and then buffing off the excess with another. I was amazed at how much the patina deepened and the vibrant colors radiated by simply applying the hemp sealant. This is what this product does when you apply it to milk painted furniture. It almost looks chalky at first but when you seal it, the piece really comes alive!
This took awhile but eventually each tile, cornice, and trim piece was beautifully sealed. Once sealed, it would take awhile to fully cure, a few weeks. Once it is cured, it will last years, and it has! This was pre-Covid and it still looks as beautiful now as it did the day I finished it. We constantly get compliments on our ceiling along with our exposed brick walls. The two mesh really well together. Both projects were long, and physically draining however they are also two of the most rewarding DIY projects we have done to date.
Step by step, one DIY project at a time, our dream is coming to life. It is taking us a lot longer to complete then we have ever anticipated, but when you have a dream this big and it lives rent free in your mind and heart, you persevere. Never give up on your dreams. ♥❤♥
See you next time friend!
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